Method of cleaning bottles.



s. L. GOLDMAN. METHOD OF CLEANING BOTTLES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 15, 1910. RENEWED NOV. 27, 1911. 1,01 8,046. Patented Feb. 20, 1912.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

ZZzaSJeJJ S. L. GOLDMAN.

METHOD OF CLEANING BOTTLES.

APPLIOATION FILED 11111515, 1910. RENEWED NOV. 27, 1911.

1,018,046. Patented Feb. 20, 1912.

2 SHEETSSHBET 2. 13 $3 @2767? 2%77 05 undl. ozdmaw,

. pressure to the jetting-nozzles over which UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

sremtmn L. eonnmaiv, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

METHOD OF CLEANING BOTTLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 15, 1910, Serial No. 566,936. Renewed November 27, 1911. I Serial No. 662,765.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SIGMUND L. GOLDMAN, a citizen of the Umted States, residing at 3900 Union avenue, Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Methods of Cleaning Bottles, of which the following is a specification. Y

My invention relates to an improvement in the art of cleansingbottles and the like, to clean them and slmultaneously remove their labels, by washing and rinsing them, employing for the purpose jets of water extending over a series of tanks in which the cleansing water is contained at varying temperatures to be supplied therefrom under the bottles to be cleansed are moved in inverted osition to subject them to the action of the ets, which act upon them both internally and externally.

A primary object of my improvement, in the practice of bottle-cleansing thus generally described, is to effect removal of the labels without tearing or disintegrating them, thereby avoiding a serious objection attending the operation of a known method of cleansm bottles involving the aforesaid practice, w erein the pressure at which the cleansing water is impelled against the bottles is so strong at the initial action thereof upon them as to disintegrate the labels and effect their dislodgment in disintegrated condition, causing the pieces to tend to clog the mechanism and impair its operation. This and other desirable objects are accomplished by my improvement hereinafter described Referring to the accompanying drawings:Figure 1 is a View in side elevation, of diagrammatic nature, of an apparatus suitable for the practice of my improvement; Fig. 2 is an enlarged section on line 2; Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a broken view, on an enlarged scale, of a portion of the showing in Fig. 2, but illustrating an additional feature.

A series of water-holding tanks, 4, 5, 6 and 7, which may be sections of a continuous tank, has suitably supported to extend lengthwise over it a sheet-metal hood 8; and

at one end of the tank is a hopper 9 having a discharge-spout 10 depending from it. A track 11 (Fig. 2) is supported on the frame of the apparatus to extend lengthwise of the tank for the travel thereon of an endless apron or carrier 12, indicated by dotted representation in Fig. 1 as passing about sprocket-wheels 13, 14, 15 and 16, actuated by the well-known Geneva movement, represented as a whole at 17, and as geared to the shaft carrying the sprocket 14;- and the shaft 18 which carries the worm 17 of the movement has a drive-belt connection 19 with the shaft 20 of an electric motor 21.

The construction of the carrier is shown in Fig. 2'to involve chains 22, each composed of pairs of parallel links pivotally connected and carrying on their pivotal connections rollers 23 to ride on the track 11 with bars 24 connecting the chains between their successive pivotal points, thereby forming between the bars spaces to admit the necks of bottles 25, which are individually seated and confined in inverted condition in series of frame-like pockets 26 extending outwardly from the bars 24, twelve such pockets being shown to form each series or row extending transversely of the carrier, while Fig. 1 shows a long series of such rows undergoing the cleansing action of the apparatus. i

The tank-sections contain the supply of cleansing water, which may',in the tanks 4, 5 and 6, be a suitable washing compound in solution though the water in the section 7 should be pure cool water for ri nsing purposes. The temperature of the waterin' the tank-section 4 is maintained warm, or insufiiciently hot to fracture the ,cold bottles subjected to while the water in Y the tank-section 5- is maintained in very hot condition, and that in the section 6 is only warm. The motorshaft 20 is common to four centrifugal pumps of ordinary general construction, though the pump 27 is arranged to deliver it as hereinafter described;

water at comparatively weak pressure,

while the construction of the pump 28 adapts 'it to discharge at much stronger pressure and that of the pumps 29 and 30 adapts The pump 27 takes its supply of water through a pipe 31 from the bottom-portion of the tank-section 4 and delivers it, through them to discharge at still stronger pressure.

an upright pipe 32 terminating in a maniwhic 37 from the tank-sections 6 and 7 and dischar ethem through the pipes 38 and 39 terminate, respectively, in manifolds 40 and 41. 1

Each discharge-pipe 32, 35' and 38 is e uipped wit-h a valved ste'am-injectoryindlcated at 42, forcontrolling the supply to each respective discharge-pipe of live steam from a suitable. source (not shown) for maintainin the desired temperature of the water in t e tanks. From each manifold there extend horizontally a plurality of pipes, like the ipe 43, closed at theirdistal ends and" each being equipped with a series of jetting-nozzles 44 spaced apart uniformly, with alternate ones positioned to register with the mouths of bottles 25 in the travel of the carrier, and intermediate ones positioned to act against the outer surfaces of the bottles, all as is the common practice in apparatus of the present type. Over each tank-section 4- and 5 and beneath the row of jet-pipes above it, extends an endless conveyer 45 comprising an apron 46 of screenmaterial passing about suitably journaled rollers 47 and 48 geared to the shaft 18 to be driven thereby; and a perforated waterpipe 49 sprays downwardly against the apron at a label-catching extension 50 of the respective tank-section.

. The operation is as follows: With the motor 21 in action, it drives the carrier 12 intermittently through the medium of the drive-mechanism 17, and continuously drives the aprons 45 and the centrifugal pumps to discharge water through the jets. An operator stationed at the left-hand end of the machine in Fig. 1 there introduces bottles into transverse rows of the apron-pockets 26, and the operation is so timed that as the first twelve rows registerwith the first tanksection 4, the jets of warm water discharge into the bottle-necks registering therewith while the jets alternating therewith play against the outer surfaces to loosen and wash ofl the labels. -The pressure here employed, of the warm water, is so light that it does not disintegrate the labels but permits them to be soaked off by the warm water and fall on the respective conveyer 45,which delivers them to the proper extension 50; and this initial washing serves to remove heavier dirt that may be on the outer surfaces of the bottles and to preliminarily soften sediment within them. Throughout the operation, the

hood 8 serves to deflect the discharged water back into the tank and to wash the bottoms of the bottles. The next movement of the carrier 12 brings the bottles first acted on over the tank section 5, where they are similarly subjected to the action of jets from the pump 28 of very hot water under strong pressure, with the effects of removing from the bottles any label-remnants, which are carried off by the respective conveyer 45,

and further cleaning the bottles externally and internally and sterilizing them. Any material tending to adhere to the screenapron of a conveyer 45 is forcibly dislodged therefrom by the action of the water sprayed from the pipe 49, acting against that screen. I The next movement of the carrier 12 brings the same bottles over the tanksection 6, where they are subjected in the same way to the action of the jets of warm water under strong ressure' from the pump 29, with the effect of finishing the cleansing of the outer surfaces of the bottles, dislodging any still adhering sediment from their interiors and cleansin the latter. The next movement of the carrier 1.2 brings the same rows of bottles over the tank-section 7, where they are subjected in the mannerdescribed to the jets of clear cool water under strong pressure'from the pump 30 to thoroughly rinse them internally and externally. It will be observedon inspection of Fig. 1, where the end-portion of the manifold 41 is broken away, that the jets 44 extending from that portion are prevented from communicating with the part of the manifold which receives its supply of cool water from thepipe 39,, by a partition 41 This separated end-portion of the manifold'communicates through a pipe 41 'with a supply of cold water (not shown) at ordinary hy tank-section 7 after performing its rinsing function, tends to counteract or minimize the contamination referred to, by being added to such contents. As will be understood, each tank is provided with the usual overflow (not shown) to prevent the water from slopping over as the level rises under the accretion in the sections of matter washed off the bottles; and the overflow from the tank-section 7 removes the contaminated water therefrom, thus augmenting the purifying effect in that section of the final rinsing water. It should also be here stated that the hopper 9 receives the drippings from'the bottles passing over it, and that the pipe 10 conducts them-off, as to a sewer. In the final movement of the carrier 12 the cleansed and sterilized bottles automatically drop out of their seating pockets upon a conveyer, indicated at 51 in Fig. 1. As will be understood, the

described operation of the machine is repeated upon each set of bottle-rows so long as the loading ofthe carrier 12 with the bottles is continued, the intermittent action giving time for the loading work.

The operation, as described, refers to bottles with narrow neck-portions, though my inventionis applicable to Washing other shapes of bottles, such as milk-bottles and the like. However, to render the action thoroughly effective on the narrow-neck variety, means are provided for causing the water to discharge from the interior of the bottles as rapidly as it enters the same, thereby to prevent accumulation of water in them that would tend to prevent introduction of the water discharged from the nozzles far enough into the bottles to reach their higher end-portions. For this purpose the means illustrated in Fig. 3 may be provided, comprising a species of bracket consisting of a castin formed out of four similar legs 52 adapte to fit about a bottleneck and' terminating in a nipple 53 regis-' tering with and fitting against the mouth of the bottle; and a tube 54 extends from about midway-of the height of the nipple through the latter into the bottle-neck to or approximately to the end thereof. Such a bracket is provided in each pocket 26 so that in introducing a bottle therein its neck will pass over the tube. The jetting takes place through the tube 54 and carriessuflicient air into the bottle with the water to force the required rapid discharge of the latter and avoid the effect of air-binding.

While the gist of my improvement lies in subjecting the bottlesto varying pres sures of the jets of water, the particular pressures employed will depend upon the condition, as to uncleanliness and sizes, of the bottles acted upon; so that \it .is not intended to limit my improvement in that behalf to special diiferences or numbers thereof in the pressure. i

What I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. The improvement in the art of cleansing bottles and the like by subjecting them to the action of jets of water under pressure, which consists in providin a series of water-jets under relatively di erent pressu'res, and subjecting the bottles to be cleaned to the action of said jets successively, for the purpose set forth,

2. The improvement in the art of cleansing bottles and the like by subjecting them to the action of jets of water under pressure, which consists in providing a series of water-jets under relatively dlfl'erent pressures and temperatures, and subjecting the bottles to be cleaned to the action .of said jets successively, for the purpose set forth.

of water under pressure which successively vary in temperature, the improvement which "consists 1n successively sub ecting the bottles to the action of jets of water under weak pressure and jets of hot water under strong pressure, for the purpose set,forth.

4. In the art of cleansing bottles and the like by subjecting them to the action of jets of water under pressure which successively vary in temperature, the improvement which consists 1n successively sub ecting the bottles tothe action of jets of warm water under weak pressure, jets of hot water and then jets of warm water, both under strong pressure, and jets of cool water, for the purpose set forth.

5. In the art of cleansing bottles and the like by subjecting them to the action of jets of water under pressure which successively vary in temperature, the improvement which consists in successively subjecting the bottles to the action of jets of warm water under weak pressure,-jets of hot water and then'jets of warm water, both under strong pressure, and jets of cool water under strong pressure, for the purpose set forth.

6. In the art of cleansing bottles and th like by subjecting them to the action of jets of waten under pressure, the improvement which consists in successively sub ecting the bottles to the action of jets of warm water under weak pressure, and jets of hot water and then jets of warm water, both under strong pressure, said water containing a cleansingchemical in solution, then subjecting said bottles to the action of jets of cool water under pressure, and finally subjecting them to the action of jets of pure cool water.

7. In the art of cleansing bottles and the like by subjecting them to the action of jets of water under pressure, the ,improvement which consists in successively sub ecting the bottles to the action of jets of warm water under-weak pressure, and jets of hot water and then jets of warmwater, both under strong pressure, said water containing a cleansing chemical in solution, then subjecting said bottles to the action of jets of cool water under high pressure, and finally sub jecting them to the-action of jets of pure cool water under. weak pressure.

' SIGMUND L. ,GOLDMAN.- In presence of- R. A. SOHAEFER, J. WILSON. 

